There Is More Than One Kind of Love
by Nancy J. Lisse
Summary: He was always there for her.  To love her, to watch out for her.  Even after he died.  Entry for the Chit Chat on Author's Corner - Fanfic Challenge 2010 - Round 3


For the Chit Chat on Author's Corner - FanFic Challenge 2010 - Round 3 - Dealer's Choice Challenge

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Pairing: Hotch/Rossi (friendship)  
Items: hunting rifle, swing set, fries

Warning: Character death

Enjoy =)

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**June 2008**

At first he wasn't sure what woke him. Not that it mattered anyway; he never slept soundly anymore.

He sat up slowly, listening to the silence of an empty house.

And that's when he heard it.

Four knocks. Methodical, determined thumps on his oak front door.

Just like she always did.

Whenever she got hurt again, she ran to him. It was like they had some kind of unofficial arrangement.

She did it because she could trust him.

He did it because he loved her.

When he made it to the front door he flicked on the porch light, illuminating an extremely distraught Emily Prentiss.

Her dark hair clung to her face; the rain soaked her completely, mixing with her cascading tears.

He opened the door and remained silent until she was ready to walk in out of the rain.

When she finally entered he enveloped her in a hug.

He pushed her bangs away from her eyes as she cried.

"Oh, Dave."

xxx

**August 2010**

"Freeze!"

The voice yelled from behind him.

Aaron Hotchner froze as instructed. He raised his hands in defeat.

"Turn around."

Once again he did as he was told, and was face to face with the giggling face of his blonde-haired boy.

"I got you daddy!"

"You sure did, buddy," Hotch laughed.

The shiny, new swing set sat in the far corner of the yard, the swings swaying in the breeze. Jack saw his father inching further, and took off toward the "safe zone" under the slide.

Hotch followed close on his son's heels and scooped him up just before he tripped over his own tiny feet.

"Now I got you!"

Jack burst out laughing and squirmed around trying to break free of his father's grasp.

Hotch released him and checked his watch.

"C'mon Jack. It's time to go inside. Alessa's coming over, remember?"

"Yay!" Jack exclaimed bounding for the sliding glass door.

The doorbell rang as Hotch was bustling around in the kitchen.

"Alright bud, go finish your fries from lunch, I'm going to get the door for little Ali Bell."

Throwing blankets and flipping pillows, Hotch quickly searched for the mini stuffed penguin Alessa had come to love. Whenever she visited, it was always the first thing she asked for.

The sound of the bell echoed through the house a second time.

"Coming!" Hotch called, grabbing the black and white creature by one of its wings.

Then he ran and opened the door.

"Emily," Hotch breathed, running his fingers through his tousled hair.

"Aaron, hi. Thanks again for taking Alessa today," she replied with a sad smile.

"Of course, you know we love having her. Isn't that right Ali Bell?"

Hotch knelt down to the 18 month-old little girl and handed her the stuffed animal. She had thick, dark brown locks, just like her mother and dark eyes, just like both her parents. He could never get over how much she resembled her mother.

Looking up from his knees, he met Emily's eyes.

He could see the sadness etched in her features. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, he could still tell.

He could always tell.

Picking Alessa up into his arms, he stood again. Emily leaned forward and placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

"Now you be good for Uncle Aaron okay?"

The toddler just smiled at her mother and clung tight to the arms that held her.

Then Emily turned to Hotch. She held his gaze for a moment before taking interest in the envelope she had in her hands.

"Um, Aaron? This is for you," she said, holding out the envelope.

He shifted the child in his arms and took it, his fingers brushing hers.

"Dave wanted me to give it to you," she almost choked on his name. "Just before he… before he died, he told me that when I was ready, to give it to you. I never read it. I promised him. But… anyway, I've got to go."

Hotch was about to respond when she did something unexpected.

Leaning forward again, she placed a kiss, this time to his cheek.

And with that, she turned and retreated back to her car.

Slightly stunned, he turned back into the house and put Alessa down on the carpet. Her steps were still a bit unsteady and Hotch was at the ready in case she was to fall. He watched as she waddled over to Jack, who had taken up residence on the small couch, flipping through the television channels.

He smiled when she put her arms up, waiting for Jack to help her onto the couch.

When he remembered the envelope in his hands, the smile faded. All the grief from the past year came flooding back. The illness. And then the death that changed the BAU team forever.

He couldn't believe that Dave died a year ago. Sometimes it felt like just yesterday he was sitting at his bedside, answering questions about the team's latest cases. Dave would ask about the airplane trips he could no longer go on, the suspects he could no longer interrogate, unsubs he could no longer profile.

Rubbing his hand over his face he walked to the fireplace. Two rifles hung securely over the shelf holding various pictures of Jack, the team, and one of Emily and Alessa on the swing set in the backyard.

Touching the rifle he remembered the first time he and Dave went hunting together.

Apparently, when it came to hunting, he was a lost cause, even with all of Dave's pointers. And sometimes, after a long week on the job, they would relax and laugh about that day over a glass of Jack Daniels.

Hotch sat on the edge of the fireplace and opened the envelope. Inside was a letter dated August 17, 2009. Just two days before he died. Unfolding the paper, he started to read Dave's writing.

_Aaron,_

_If you're reading this, Emily kept her promise. She's been trying so hard to help me through this and I know it's because she really cares about me. You know she loves me Aaron, but there are so many things that you have no clue about._

_I know we told the team we'd been seeing each other, but the truth is she was in love with you. And I want to tell you that the night Emily got pregnant, I wasn't even expecting her. She came to me in the pouring rain, after her heart was broken again, by you. I don't know what happened between you two that night, but it doesn't really matter. But I do know she needed someone to be there for her, to comfort her and make her feel needed. Someone to show her how much she was loved. I was there for her that night, when you couldn't be._

_When we found out she was pregnant we vowed to make it work between us. I have always loved her Aaron, so it wasn't really hard to be honest. And she cared about me too. She could trust me, and she knew that. And she knew that our child would change our relationship, and she was ready to take that next step just as much as I was._

_When we got married, I knew she loved me as much as I love her. I could see it in her eyes. It was a familiar glimmer; I had seen that look many times before. It was the look she had when she talked about you._

_And then the baby came, and I saw that same look times a million. Emily is such a good mother to Alessa and I care about them more than life itself. I know my time is running out, so I won't be able to give them everything that they deserve, the life they deserve. But Aaron, I know you can. And I know Emily still loves you. It's something that I have learned to live with; that she will always love you._

_I know she loves me too. It may be for different reasons, but it's a love we have for no one else but each other. And when I'm gone, I just want her to be happy. I want Emily and Alessa to have someone to love them, like I do. And I know she will be happy with you._

_This is where you come in. You may forget that I'm a profiler, Aaron. It's really not hard to see that you love her. You've loved her a long time. But the invisible shield you have going on has got to give. You need to let yourself be happy. You have every right._

_Take the leap of faith Aaron. Stop hiding from what you really feel. Be honest with yourself, and be honest with her. I need you to take care of her and Alessa for me. Be there for her and love her like I know you do. _

_Your friend,_

_Dave_

And later that night, he did what he had been dying to do for as long as he had known her.

He took that leap of faith.

"Emily, have dinner with me?"

He smiled.

"Of course."

She smiled.

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Okay! I finally got to get this done, just barely made the deadline!

I don't really think it was my best, but it is what it is... I hope the feelings in the letter were able to transmit through my writing, at least a little bit.

Anywho... I hope you liked it! Please leave feedback, comments, critique, I'll take it all!

Thanks for reading.

Jessalynn


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